Rachmaninoff's piece sets the Russian orthodox liturgy to music -- something composers like Gretchaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky also did.

But Rachmaninoff's version has a deeper impact, a greater sense of history and occasionally more complexity, Bruffy said.

"There are times in this piece that there are 11 different parts going on , which is a very orchestral kind of approach -- it's more than soprano, alto, tenor, bass," he said.

Click the audio above to hear Bruffy talk about challenge of recording a beloved piece on its 100th anniversary, his approach to capturing a great performance in the studio and why the piece means so much to him.